Cylinder construction



July l0, 1934. H, E. MucHNlc CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION med .my 27. 19:1

2 Sheets-Sheet l July 10, 1934. H. E. MUcHNlc CYLINDER CONSTRUCTIONFiled July 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 10, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION Application July 27, 1931,Serial No. 553,276

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a cast steel locomotive cylinder structureadapted to eliminate the serious objections of cracking and breakingencountered with cast steel structures at present in use, re-

sulting from the unequal and great degree of expansion obtained in suchstructures.

My invention has for its object the provision of a cylinder constructionwherein the steam passages are formed independently of the walls or l0structural portions so that the steam passages are free to expandwithout aecting or straining the walls of the cylinder casting.

My invention also contemplates the provision of means for maintainingthe valve chamber bushings in proper position within the valve chambersin order that the ports in the separate bushings may be in properrelation with each other relative to the steam laps and the exhaust lapsof the piston valve; while at the same time providing a smoothcontinuous wall or riding surface for the piston valve heads and thusenabling the withdrawal of the piston valve to be easily accomplished.

The above enumerated objects and advantages,

as well as other advantages inherent in the invention, will all bereadily comprehended from the following detailed description of theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved cylinder construction, withportions broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a partial elevational view with a part in section, thesection being taken substantially on the oi-set line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the off-setline 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the off-set line 4 4 ofFigure 2.

My invention relates to an integral locomotive cylinder construction ofcast steel, wherein the exhaust steam passages are independent of andform no part of the walls or structural portions of the casting.

In prior years, locomotive cylinders were usually made of cast iron witheach cylinder consisting of a separate casting and a pair of cylindersthen bolted together and attached to the boiler shell and to thelocomotive frame. With the advent of locomotives of greater power usingsuperheated steam and the practice of locating air pumps and feed-waterheaters on the front end of locomotives, considerable diiculty wasencountered because of the increased weight on the front truck of thelocomotives. Locomotive cylinders were then made of cast steel in orderto reduce the excessive Weight on the front trucks. These cast steelstructures, however, present serious problems because of the increasedlinear expansion of cast steel over cast iron and frequently results incracking and breaking of the casting, especially where it is essentialthat the weight of the cylinder casting be held to a minimum.

These diiliculties resulted from the fact that the exhaust steampassages constituted a structural portion or wall of the casting proper.

In the exemplification of my invention, the valve chambers and cylindersat opposite sides are all formed integral; the casting involving thevalve chambers 10, 10; cylinders ll, l1, provided with the usual steampassage or ports therebetween and controlled by the usual piston valves(not shown) located in the valve chambers l0, l0.

The oppositely located valve chambers and cylinders are united by theintegral, hollow or skeleton casting provided with a top Wall l2I bottomwall 13, united as for example by the vertical webs 14, 14 and 15; andthe front, rear and side walls 16, 1'7 and 18; the webs 14, 14 and 15also being integral with the front and rear walls, as seen in Figure 1.

The top wall 12 is provided with the integral saddle portion 19, wherebythe casting is secured to the boiler shell; the saddle portion beingprovided with rivet receiving holes as at 20.

The front and rear walls 16 and 17, at each side of the casting, areprovided with openings 21, 21 and 22, 22; While the vertical webs orpartitions 14, 14 are also each provided with an opening as at 23. Theseopenings receive the exhaust steam conduits 24, 25, which lead fromopposite ends of the valve chambers or steam chests 10. These conduits24, 25 curve inwardly and thence upwardly, uniting in the upwardlydisposed discharge end 26 which extends through an opening in the saddleportion 19; the discharge end being preferably yieldably attached to thecasting proper by the horizontal portion 27 provided with enlargedopenings which eliminate any tendency of the web to buckle; the upperend 26 being also provided with an exhaust nozzle receiving flange 28.

It is apparent that the exhaust conduits are divorced from thestructural portions of the cylinder casting. That is to say, the exhaustpassages or conduits form no part of the walls of the casting but merelyfunction as steam passages and therefore are free to expand and contractand do not transmit these stresses and strains to the cylinder castingas, however, is the case in cylinder constructions as at present in use.

The walls about the openings 21, 22 and 23 are preferably enlarged orprovided with the encircling flanges as shown at for reenforcing andstrengthening said walls.

The intermediate portions of the valve chambers 10, 10 and to theexterior of the casting are provided with the usual live steam inlethubs 31, 31.

The interiors of the valve chambers 10, at opposite ends, are made witha slightly larger diameter than the inside diameter of the intermediateportions of the chambers so as to provide the interior of each chamberwith annular shoulders as shown at 32, 32 in Figure l against which theinner ends of the ported bushings 33, 33 seat.

The depth of the shoulders 32 are commensurate with the thickness of theinner ends of the bushings 33, with the result that a. smooth continuouswall or riding surface for the valve heads is provided which enables;the easy withdrawal of the valve from the chamber possible when renewalof the usual valve rings is necessary.

At the same time, the shoulders 32 will maintain the bushings in properposition or spaced relation so that the bushing ports are in properposition relative to each other and to the valveheads to provide theproper steam laps and exhaust laps of the valve, as shifting or improperpositioning of the ported bushings is impossible.

As is apparent from the construction shown in the drawings, the steampassages or conduits do not constitute a structural portion or bracingwall of the casing proper, but merely function as steam passages, andtherefore are free to expand Without affecting or straining the walls ofthe cylinder casting, with the result that the serious diculties atpresent encountered with cast steel cylinder structures are entirelyeliminated and a longer lived construction provided, obviating themaintenance expense.

I have illustrated what is believed to be a simple embodiment of theinvention adapted more particularly to the present type of locomotivesin use, but modifications are possible without, however, departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A cylinder saddle structure comprising a casting formed to provide avalve chamber and cylinder, the front and rear walls being provided withopenings; and exhaust steam conduits integrally connected with oppositeends of the valve chamber extending through said openings in dissociatedrelation with said walls and dispozed within the structure.

2. A saddle construction comprising a skeleton casting formed t0 provideintegral valve chambers and cylinders and having side, top and verticalwalls provided with enlarged openings; and exhaust steam conduits formedintegral with opposite ends of the valve chambers beyond the side wallsof the casting, said conduits extending through the openings in theside, vertical and top walls of the casting Without intimate relationwith the casting.

3. A saddle construction comprising an integral hollow structurecomposed of valve chambers, cylinders at opposite ends and side, top,bottom and intermediate connecting walls, the side and intermediate wallbeing provided with enlarged openings; and exhaust steam conduitsconnected with the ends of the valve chambers and curving inwardlythrough the openings in said walls and uniting within the structure in asingle discharge end yieldingly tied to the walls of the structure.

4. A cylinder saddle structure comprising a casting formed to provide anintegral valve chamber. cylinder and exhaust conduits at opposite endsof the valve chamber; the front and rear walls of the casting havingopenings through which the exhaust conduits extend in dissociatedrelation with said walls so as to be disposed within the structure.

HENRY E. MUCHNIC.

